Page 76 of Known By You
“You needed a little air, sounds like.”
She nodded. “I’ll never be able to thank Jack enough for everything he’s done, but I feel like I’ve put my life onpause. And that’s not his fault. I need to stay here to make sure I’m close to the hospital when I have the baby, but I’m ready to get settled.” She set her tea down again.
“Where will you go?” I asked, unaware there was already a plan in place for what happened after the baby came.
“My cousin lives in a town not far from here. We haven’t seen each other in years, but we’ve kept up online. I’ve decided I’ll go there and start over. Reinvent myself and navigate the single mom life in a small town where everyone knows me. That way, if something happens with Dillon, I won’t be alone.”
Her gaze searched mine like she was looking for approval. I wasn’t well-versed in this kind of thing—I wasn’t sure what it was like to choose a path so distinctly when everything was against you. But I could tell she felt good about this plan, and that had to count for something, especially when she hadn’t gotten to choose much about what she’d gone through in the last while.
“I think if the town is anything like Silverton, that’s a great idea.”
She laughed softly. “It’s significantly smaller than Silverton from what I’ve read, but I agree. And that’s part of it—I wanted to go into Rise and Shine and get a croissant instead of having one of Jack’s assistants bring it to me. I wanted to browse this adorable book shop and then sit down and sip tea and read. I just…” She sighed heavily.
“You needed a break. And I’m glad you took one.” I meant it.
“But?”
“But it’s time to get back. And if you want to get out again, please just call me and I’ll be your own personal but very silent and unintrusive bodyguard. As long as wehaven’t had issues with the press or your ex, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.” I hoped Kenny and Cookie would agree, but I suspected they would.
“Thank you,” she said, letting her legs slide off the couch and tucking her book into the bag Jo must’ve slipped it into when Evie paid.
Part of keeping clients safe was their compliance. I didn’t have to be particularly experienced in personal security to know that—I’d seen it with assets I’d developed over the years. I could only do so much for them if they were insistent on going places and doing things that put them in danger.
If Evie needed to be getting out of Jack’s mansion every few days, especially before her life changed even more substantially with her baby’s arrival, I understood. She hadn’t asked for any of this and she wasn’t trying to be stubborn or demanding, but she had a right to live her life.
“I’ll talk to the team. We’ll figure out a way to get you some space.”
“Thank you. I mean it. I’m not sure you’ll understand how much this means to me, but it does. So, thank you.”
I brushed off her thanks, but as we met up with Cookie and drove her back to Jack’s, her words stuck in my ears. Her thanks was so heart-felt, so sincere, and it made me wonder if I’d ever been thanked for doing my job before.
Had I ever felt so appreciated? And did it make sense that this simple offering I’d made to Evie should garner more thanks than a decade and a half of service and true sacrifice for my country?
More and more, I had to admit, it did not.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Kenny
By Friday evening, I’d lost my cool.
Not that, if we’re being honest, I ever had much to begin with, especially not with Liz. But at this point, I was a goner for her and every second we spent together made it worse.
Or better, depending on your perspective.
We hadn’t even gotten much time together, and I was basically living for the interactions with her. It was bad and I knew it, but I couldn’t seem to rein it in.
“She said she’s coming, man. Give it a rest.”
Cookie’s hand clamped down on my shoulder and shook me, jarring my vision from where I’d pinned my gaze on the entrance to Craic.
“I know. I’m just…” In too deep?
“Obsessed with a woman you’re barely dating?” he asked, and Doc, Bruce, and Beast all snickered.
I glared at them. Hard.
But also, they weren’t wrong. I’d dived full into enjoying this while it lasted, and I didn’t want to be away from her. If we only had a limited amount of time left, I wanted as much of it with her as I could get.
